Clutter Free Challenge Week 2

http://clutterfreeclassroom.blogspot.com/

This week's topics:

What do you plan to do with your "stuff" that you no longer want?
I cleaned out several desk drawers in the effort to get rid of my desk entirely.  I found boxes and boxes of paperclips (yikes!) and "sticky" pads that weren't sticky anymore. 

I cleaned out several of the cubbies behind my desk.  I found teacher materials I collected in college (double yikes!) and themed lessons from the previous teachers who had my room.

Top four places to send clutter or organize:

•  Put it in the teacher break room with a "Free to a Good Home" note
• Recycle bin
• Trash can
• Relocate it to an organized, yet less visible area (closets, high shelves)

What are your rules for purging?

• How often do I use it?  If I haven't used it in THREE years, it needs to go.  Why three?  Well, because I have had three entirely different classes with three sets of entirely different needs in the last three years. 
• How often do I access it?  If it's only once a month or year, put it in the back closet.  Only keep daily/weekly accessed materials within close reach.
• Can I repurpose it to make it more useful?  I'm working on amping up my easel, which has sat in the back corner (practically unused) for the last three years.  I want shelves underneath, and I also want to use it for my writing center/anchor charts.  Stay tuned for that project...

What have you gathered to make your decluttering task easier?

• Dollar store small containers with lids

• Sticky labels (for small containers listed above) made via Vistaprint.  I love my polka dots! 

• Small clear containers that can hold miscellaneous office supplies

• Labels for the containers above (also Vistaprint).  I get my other love: buttons!